Spring wheel



July 31,1928'. 1,678,693

J. R. EAID SPRING WHEEL.

Filed June 11, 192s 2- sheets-sheet 1 July 31, 1928.

` v 1,678,693 J. R. EAID SPRING WHEEL Filed June 11, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7,77 I Y l V ing description.

Patented July 31, 1928.

l UNITED STATES JOHN inv ruimer cammeo, ILLINOIS, Assrenon To THE PEoPnEs'TnUsT AND sAvl INGSBANK 0F CHICAGO, TRUSTEE. i v

W i This. invention relates to improvements in spring wheels" and has kfor .its object to provide a. wheel which will obviate the necessityot a. pneumaticl tire and which will be 5 springy and elastic and. thus take up the jars tofwhieh wheels. such as automobile wheels arenow subjected when in use. The invention has other objects which are. more .particularly pointed out. in. the accompany- Referring now to the drawings: l l .Fig. 1 is a view showing one form of wheel embodying the inventiony Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken '15 `on the line 2 2, of Fig. 1.

. 3 .is a sectionon the. line 3 3 of Fig. 1. l v Fig. 4. is a fragmentary section on line 4 4 of Figr 2. 202

4 with parts emittedl i y A. Fig. 6 is a side View of. the hub end of one of the spring members of the spokes.A

Like numerals referto like.A partszthrough- Y out the severaltgures'.

Reterring tov the f drawingsy above. shown, I illustrate awheel having a rim 1, la solid 1 tire 2 and a felloe. 3 to which are; secured .a plurality .of spaced spoke terminals 4 each of which comprisesy a strip. of metal bent upon itself with its two ends secured to the lelloe as at 4a. The terminals are provided withtwo opposed inclined surfaces 41? .which are. longitudinally .slotted as at 4c. Between the inclined surjtaee's lies a short portion 4d,

roughly concentric with or parallel with the portion of the felloe to which the terminalv is secured.n

5 is the inner hub plate v Wardly and outwardly projectingtlange 5a,

towhich is secured the brake drum v.51?.

6 is the outer yhuh plate, adapted to be secured to the innerhub plate 5, for example by the bolts 6a yand nuts 6l. 7 is anyfsuit-l .45 .able axle structure, the. detailssof'which do not form part of the present invention. )The opposed hub plates 5 and 6, when joinedr together form a single hubelement in which larea plurality of radial and substantiallyL .50. ycylindrical apertures 8, each terminating .in

a kconic'bearing surface 8a. y l

The inner portions ofthese apertures 8 areucut away onopposed sides, as at 9 in Fig.v ,5, to permit the insertion of relatively stiispring elementsl, oi arcuate cross sec- Appl-ication led .Tune k1,1,

Fig.. 5- isa section on: a line 51-5 of p n tion 15b is adapted to penetrate the aperture having a rear- SPRING WHEEL.

1923.. Serial N 'oA 644,578..

tion which terminate in inclined portions 10a, adapted to liekupon the inclined surface L4" of the spoke terminals. y 11 is a bolt and 11a a nut, thebolt being in rigid connection with the inclined portion 10 ofv the spring 60 l10, .its shank passing through. the aperture 4c and terminating in the head 11i. The inner end of each spring member 10 is con-y fined' within the enlargement 9 of the vaperture 8 by the rivet or double headed anchor 12 which passes through the slot 12al in the innerY endl of the spring. The anchor and springs are ofcourse inserted before the .two vhub. plates are clamped together, and

are locked in position bythe. securing of the hub plates.

` 15V is a spoke member adapted-tobe contained between every pair of spring mem- `it may be rotated; 20 isfa two part casing adaptedv -to surround each spoke. It is slotted at the outer'end as at 2Oa to permit the passage of the vsides 4? of the'terminal 42 Vthe apertures beingprovided with grease tight flaps 2O". It is secured at its inner `end to one ofthe hub plates or to the spring @members as at 21 and its outer end preferably surrounds the outer ends 10 of the spring elements. 22 is a coil springcompressed between the collar 15a on the spoke member 15, and the head 16h.

In assembling the spoke, the opposed spring guides 10 are inserted in the arcuate apertures 9 ofthe inner hub cylinder.' They are anchored,y 'as shown .in Figs. 4 and 5 by the rivets 12'yand thespoke member 15 is slipped into place between them, with the head'` 16b screw threaded into'the inner end ofthe spoke member and holding the spring- 22 tightly compressed, as shown in the right hand spoke of Fig/4i The outer'ends of the springs 1() are 4secured in sliding relation lwith the inclined surfaces oit' thel spoke "terminal 4, the` casing 20 being enlarged t0 permit the sliding movement of thespring guides which' accompanies their foutward movement in relation to said inclined surfaces. The head 16b is then released from the end of the spoke` member, any suitable tool being inserted into the radial apertures therein, to unscrew it, and it is then seated by the expansion of the spring 22 against the conic inner end 8la of the aperture 8 in the hub. The outer end of the spoke member is forced by the spring into the aperture 15c in the inner end of the spoke terminal.`

vThis disposition of parts is shown in the left hand spoke of Fig. 4. y n

When each spring, 22 has been released and when the two hub plates have beenVv finally secured together the wheelvis ready for use. The spring 22 is compressed between the collar 15'a on the plunger, and the cap 16b seated against the surface 8u. 'When the weight of the running gear and load of the vehicle presses the hub down, the spring 22 is sufficiently resilient and powerful to permit the outward movement and to limit it. The spring is contained between the axv ial guides 15 .and the opposed arcuate leaf spring guides 10.` These last mentioned guides, when the hub moves down towards the rim, slide slightly in response'to their movement in relation to thespoke terminal 4. It will be understood that the outwardly and divergently inclined outer ends of these spring guides slide along the inclined side surfaces'of the terminal to which they are slidably secured by the bolts 11. This spreading of these guides prevents any j clamping or cramping of the spring 22beftween the guide rod and the spring guides.

The resilience ofthe springs 10 is such as to provide a degree of circumferential yield.l

The spoke terminal'-L may itself be made, if

desired, ofpowerf'ul spring stock and has a degree of resilience which not only adds to the resilience of the wheel as a whole, but

makes cramping and breakage of any of the n parts less likely. The casing 20surrounds `all thefmoving parts and may, if desired, be

employed as a grease or lubricant container. The apertures 2Ol are sufficiently large to provide a clearancev for any normal movelment of the parts, and any suitable packing or flap 4may be provided to prevent the escape of thel lubricant.

` spirit of my invention, and-I wish the speciication and drawings to be taken asin a broad sense diagrammatical.

kI claim: o Y v 1. A wheel comprising a hub and a rim,

a series of spoke members intermediate said;

rimand hub, a spring surrounding each said spolremember and adapted to be compressed by the movement of the hub toward the por,-

tion of the rim adjacent saidspolre mem-V bers, and a flexible guide about said spring connecting at'oneend with said hub.

2. A wheel comprising a hub and a rim,

ya series of spoke membei'sintermediatefsaid rim and hub, afspring surrounding'each said spoke member and adapted to be compressed by the movement of the hub toward the portion of the rim adjacent said spoke"mein bers, and a flexible guide about vsaidV spring connecting `at one end 'with said liub,com

prising a pair of relatively stiff leaf springs.

SIA. wheel comprising av hub and a rim, a series of spoke members intermediate said rim and hub, va spring surrounding each said spoke member'fand adapted to be compressed by the movement ofthe hub toward 'the portion ofthe rim adjacent said spoke members, a flexible. guide about Saidspring and a sliding connection between the outer' end of said guide and the rim.

4.,' A Vwheel comprising a hub and al rim, a series `of spoke members intermediate said rim and hub, a spring surroundingeach' said spoke member and adapted to be compressed by the movement of the hub toward the portion of the rim adjacent said spoke members, a flexible kguideabout each spoke nie-m-y ber, comprising a pair ofrelativelystiff leaf springs and a sliding connection between'thev oe y outer ends of said leaf springs and the' rim.

5. `A] wheel comprising a hub provided Vwith a vplurality of substantially 'radial apertures, spoke members "loosely mounted' therein, yielding supporting means intermediate said spoke members and said hub, separated opposed guide lelements for each I` spoke fmember projecting beyond ,the aperturesin said hub, eachv guide element having van independent connection with the'wheel f v6. A wheel comprising a hub provided with a plurality` off substantially radial apertures, spoke 'members loosely mounted therein, yielding supporting means intermediate said spoke members and said hub, aV pair of opposed, flexible guide elements pro,-

,jecting Y beyond f each aperture in 'said' hub,

and a sliding connection between'the outer ends of said guide elements and the wheel -V 7. A wheel comprising a rimand a hub,

a series of spolrefmembers connecting said rim and hub, a seriesof hollow guides about said spoke members, said guides being .alignedwith apertures in` said' hub, said guides, being laterally fiezible, anda spring surrounding each spoke member and contained within said guides, and adapted to bel compressed bet-Ween said rim and said hub. 8. A wheel comprising a rim and a hub and a plurality of spokes intermediatel said rim and hub, each spoke comprising an inclined sided member secured to the rim and a guide rod extending from said member toward the hub, said hub beingprovided with an aperture adapted to receive the inner end of said guide rod, a coil spring about said guide rod, adapted to be compressed between the rim and the hub, flexible guides therefor` secured at the inner end tothe hub and slidably secured at the outer end to the inclined sides of the inclined sided member.

9. A Wheel comprising a rim and a hub and a plurality of spokes intermediate said rim and hub, each spoke comprising in part a spiral spring adapted to be compressed between the rim and the hub, an external resilient guide for said spring, and means for laterally expanding said external guide in response to pressure along the axis of the spoke.v

10. A Wheel comprising a rim and a hub and a plurality of spokes intermediate said rim and hub, each spoke comprising in part a spiral spring adapted to be compressed between the rim and the hub, an external guide for said spring, and means for laterally expanding said external guide in response to pressure along the axis of the spoke, comprising inclined surfaced portions at the outer end of said guide and opposed inclined surfaced members upon the rim, in sliding relation therewith.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 16th day of May, 1923.

JOHN R. EAID. 

